Rising Phoenix
by RWBYShippingCo
Summary: Senior year at Beacon Academy! Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos have unresolved feelings for one another. Will Jaune be able to overcome his self doubt? Will Pyrrha be able to handle it if he doesn't?
1. Chapter 1 -- Training

RISING PHOENIX.

Chapter I – Training

Team JNPR is in full swing in their final year at Beacon Academy, and the normal clanging of weapons can be heard from atop the dorms. Pyrrha Nikos swung her Milo – a shortsword that would extend its handle to become a stave should she feel the need – at Jaune Arc's neck, stopping short of killing the boy, she held it there and proclaimed the boy a fighter on par with herself.

"You know, one second faster on your last attack and you would have taken me." Pyrrha said as she helped her partner to his feet. The feeling of his hand in hers, however innocent, always struck the female warrior down to her soul. She repressed a shiver of emotion as Jaune responded.

"That's only because your not using your semblance. If this were a real fight I would stand no chance." Jaune looked at his feet and kicked the dust, embarrassed at the compliment from his trainer. He felt that there was no world in which he could actually best Pyrrha. He was surprised when he felt a weight on his shoulder. Jaune looked up to see that Pyrrha was close – close enough that he could feel her warm breath on his face.

"Jaune, it's not my semblance that gives me the skill I have. Honestly, you could have beaten me tonight, and I have a feeling that if you improve like this going forward, it won't be long before you have me on my back." Pyrrha realized what she had said after she had finished her sentence and blushed a color that matched the armor she wore. She waited for Jaune to respond.

30 seconds passed.

One minute.

At the two minute mark Pyrrha could no longer wait for a response and quickly apologized. " I'm so sorry! That came out so wrong! I mean, I wouldn't mind, if it was you, but-" She cut herself off before she could do more damage than she already had, realizing that she had just unwittingly confessed her feelings to Jaune.

"Pyrrha..." Jaune struggled to find the words to say. His own feelings for Pyrrha were burning him up inside, and he so desperately wished that he was enough of a man to be with her. He could not fight as well as she, he was pretty stupid most of the time, and to top it all off his leadership skills were barely meeting his own standards – and that had taken three years to do. He railed against himself as Pyrrha waited anxiously for him to finish his sentence.

 _If only you could see the way I see you, Jaune. I LOVE YOU!_ Pyrrha screamed the words in her head as hard as she could, wishing that he would hear the silent declaration. She peered into the eyes of a man who saw himself as lesser than everyone around him. Maybe at one point that had been true, but he had worked so hard _just one more thing that I love about you._ Pyrrha added internally as Jaune readied himself. He was about to cause himself immense suffering.

"Look, Pyrrha... I really appreciate all the training and encouragement you have given me over the last few years, and I know that as partners we will always be close, but you can do better than me. There are so many men that would love to have the chance to take you out and make you feel good." the words tasted like acid in his mouth, but Jaune knew in his heart of hearts that Pyrrha was on another level of society and the gap was just to big to cross. Yes, he would treat her the same way he had always treated her. They would go about their lives as they had. "thank you for tonight, but I think I am going to head to bed. See you down there."

Pyrrha's mind reeled at the rejection. She knew that Jaune had fallen in love with her a long time ago, due to one of his many conversational blunders – one that he had gone to great lengths to cover up – so why would he do that to her? Jaune had never given her any special treatment due to her social status before, so why now?

Pyrrha sank to her knees and curled them to her chest. _Stupid Jaune, you know that I hate it when people do that._ That's when it occurred to her that the only reason he would have said something like that would be because he believed that he didn't feel like he measured up to Pyrrha. He was running away because he believed that she would be happier with someone like herself. He couldn't be farther from the truth. Pyrrha had grown up in the spotlight, and her entire life she had been treated like she was someone who was untouchable. She had spent her entire life in isolation as even her parents put her on a pedestal. _Oh Jaune..._ Tears formed in her eyes as she wished that she could help her leader/crush to see that it was because of his quirks, not in spite of them, that she loved him.

Jaune listed back to the room as he kicked himself for allowing the situation to get that far. She would never stoop to loving a guy like him, despite the fact that he felt like he could fly whenever she was around. He always seemed to be excited when he could spend time alone with Pyrrha. _I love you so much Pyrrha, but I'm not the guy for you. You can do so much better than me._ Jaune resolved himself to helping Pyrrha find herself a good guy, even if he had to rip his own soul to shreds to do it. He opened the door to see that the couple who were in his team lay in bed, fast asleep. _Good, now I don't have to deal with the Nora Inquisition._ Jaune let out a quiet sigh as he dropped his armor and weapons in the footlocker by his bed.

As if by supernatural powers, or an intuition that only Nora could have, she poked her head up to see that Jaune was sitting on the side of his bed with his head in his hands. She looked around the room for Pyrrha to find that her teammate had not yet returned. She poked Ren until he woke.

"Hey honey, I think you should talk to Jaune. I'm absolutely positive something happened with Pyrrha. I'm going back to sleep." Having given her instructions, Nora promptly rolled over and fell asleep. Ren sat up quietly, surveying the room before silently getting up to deal with his instructions. Nora knew that the two were close, however one sided the relationship between the two boys may seem sometimes. Ren lowered himself to sit by Jaune's feet.

"Hey man... what's going on with you and Pyrrha." Ren had been forced to listen to Jaune for years quite vividly describe how he felt for the woman, and was fully up to speed on his leader's opinion on the subject.

Without looking up from his hands, Jaune responded, his voice tortured. "Pyrrha told me she loves me. It happened after we got done training tonight." Ren put a hand on Jaune's knee as he processed this. The ninja chose his words carefully, as he always had, while he pieced the situation together in his head.

"...And you shot her down, didn't you?" Jaune just nodded. "You've been waiting for this for almost two years Jaune. Two years to help you feel like you deserve her. Has that not changed?" Jaune shook his head. "I see. What are you going to do now?"

For the first time since the conversation started, Jaune looked down to Ren. "I'm going to help her find someone that is worthy of her." Ren could immediately see that this was already taking it's toll on his leader and friend. The black haired boy scratched his chin while he formed his response.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You're going to tear yourself apart if you have to watch her be with someone else." Jaune had already thought about this and just nodded, acknowledging him. "On top of that, if there is one thing I learned, being so close to Nora for all these years, it's that your feelings will only grow as time goes on. Pyrrha loves you man, and you trying to set her up with someone else is going to break her heart. You and I both know that you could never do that to her." With no response coming from his friend, Ren patted Jaune's knee and returned to bed with his love.

Pyrrha couldn't stand sitting anymore and had decided to go for a walk to clear her head, and decide what to do next. She was currently walking through the gardens in the courtyard when an spectacled man with a cane appeared, leaning next to a tree. With the cane leaning against his hip, he held two cups that steamed in the cool night air.

"Professor Ozpin, why are you out here?" Pyrrha asked of the headmaster, as she neared him. This conversation would be a nice respite from the thorns of her thoughts, however conspicuous his timing had been. The old man seemed to know everything was going on at his school whether he had been there or not.

"Well, Ms Nikos, I find that these gardens have a calming atmosphere. I come down here sometimes to clear my head. Tea?" Oz held out one of the cups to the girl. He already knew what had transpired on the roof, and was curious to see if the girl would open up to him. Oz prepared himself to hear the feelings of the girl as they meandered through the trees.

"Professor Ozpin, can I ask you a question?" _There it is._ Oz thought as the girl took a deep breath. He nodded his silent approval.

"There's someone I know. He is a good guy, and a better person than most people know. He doesn't like to think so, and it seems like he is turning down the person he loves because he feeling like he doesn't deserve to be with her. How can I help him see that he is actually a really great guy?" Pyrrha slowly explained her predicament to her headmaster, who listened intently while she did so. He knew who she spoke of, but wondered why Pyrrha had not seen that the answer was in the question.

Chuckling, Oz asked, "You speak of yourself and Mr. Arc?" He loved to play mind games, and this one was rewarded with a blush from the girl. "Ms. Nikos, there is no way to force people to see the good in themselves. The only thing that others can do is to show them time and time again that they are loved, and that they are worth something, simply for being who they are..." Oz paused as he gave form to the advice he had decided to give the girl in the beginning of the conversation. "If you need an example, imagine a good fighter who constantly loses to a better one. Then one day, during a real battle, this lesser of the two has the chance to prove himself. Because he has done the proving himself, he can say that he feels better about himself, rather than others trying to show him he is – as you put it – a good person."

Pyrrha struggled to understand how perceptive Professor Ozpin was. It was damn near telepathic sometimes, as she had just discovered. The situation that her headmaster had just posed to her was one of the solutions that she had just thought of on her exploration. "Thank you, sir. That really helps me out."

"Oh and one other thing, Ms. Nikos."

"Yes?"

"Make sure that Mr. Arc understands that you did not orchestrate his victory, or he will sink deeper into self doubt." Professor Ozpin's eyes bored into Pyrrha's own. After a moment, he straightened his back and left Pyrrha with her thoughts without a word.

Jaune lay with his eyes closed on his bed when heard the door to the dorm open and close, followed by the metallic tinkling of bronze armor falling into its place at the foot of Pyrrha's bed. Tonight would not be one for words, as the pair made their plans.

 ** _/We're off to the races guys! back to Beacon with our next story, were going to follow Arkos. What will happen to our unlikely pairing? even I don"t know right now, but I'm sure that it will be epic\\\\\\\_**


	2. Chapter 2 -- Arkos

Chapter II – Arkos

Its been two weeks since the event on top of the dorms, and Pyrrha has finally made a clear plan with the help of her headmaster. Team JNPR would be leaving to clear a section of Forever Fall Forest tomorrow. Jaune had accepted the mission grudgingly, much at the behest of Pyrrha. When Nora had asked her about it, the crimson haired warrior had just smiled and returned to cleaning her armor.

"Pyrrha's pretty fired up today, isn't she?" Jaune made small talk with Ren as the entire team sat in the dorm, the girls working on homework and the boys working on their weapons.

Ren leaned in closer to Jaune, so that the girls would not hear what he had to say. "I think you and I both know why. She's still trying to cope with you leaving her on the rooftop. When are you going to realize that she only wants you Jaune?" Shaking his head, Jaune did not respond, for fear of the girls hearing him. Jaune had been spending the last two weeks trying to set her up with Neptune. He had always been cool, and the two seemed like they would balance each other out. Pyrrha had nearly kicked him off the top of the dorm when Neptune had mentioned that it was her own team leader that had made the suggestion that they go out.

On the other side of the room, the girls were quietly focusing on finishing their work when Nora looked at Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, when are you going to talk to Jaune about what happened?" Nora asked of her partner gently, in the same manner as had her boyfriend. "He is only going to continue to look down on himself until you two talk about it."

"Don't worry about it Nora, I have a plan to deal with him. I just hope that it doesn't backfire on me. I need you to make sure that he and I get some time to fight without you and Ren tomorrow, okay?" Pyrrha would make sure that she would give Jaune the chance to save her. She trusted him with her life without condition, and this would put all of the work that they had put in on that rooftop to the test. Nora looked quizzically at the green eyed woman, but nodded her approval as she slowly connected the dots.

The girls finished the work that Dr. Oobleck had assigned them and turned to the boys, watching them as they completed their maintenance on their weapons and armor. Pyrrha watched Jaune as he meticulously cleaned the armor that had been passed down to him from his great grandfather. _Do you know how much you mean to me? What I would do if I lost you?_ Pyrrha agonized internally as she watched the boy.

Jaune glanced at Pyrrha while he cleaned his armor, and noticed that she was staring at him. They both knew about their feelings for one another now, however impossible the relationship seemed to be to the boy. With this in mind, Pyrrha had not usually in the past taken it upon herself to openly ogle Jaune. _What makes her want to be with a loser like me?_ He wondered. Jaune had given up, for the time being on setting her up with another man. It was a lost cause, and Ren had been right. He remembered the particularly painful night on the roof when she had found out that Jaune had been the reason that Neptune suddenly took a special interest in her.

"Hey Ren, why do you think she likes a dumb guy like me?" Jaune asked his fellow boy in the team, in the same hushed tone that he had been spoken to earlier. He wondered if Ren had any insight, seeing as how he had been right so far. Ren just stared at his leader, dumbfounded.

 _Wow, this guy is really thick sometimes_ the black haired boy sat in awe of the stupidity of Jaune. Shaking his head he responded, "Jaune.. You know.. Sometimes you are really thick. If you ask her the same question, you would get the best response." Nora noticed the look on her boyfriends face and came to see if everything was alright, blowing the boys cover.

"Everything okay? Ren, you looked really surprised just now? Did Jaune just realize that Pyrrha is the only one for him?" The only response in the room at Nora's usually blunt questions was a bronze shield in the back of her head, thrown by the other woman in the team. They were ready for the mission at this point, and would make sure to grab a good meal before turning in for the night. Nora skipped beside Ren on the way down to the dining hall, and Jaune just quietly strode beside his own partner. Pyrrha fought the urge to grab his hand as they walked down the hall. Lost in her thoughts it came as a surprise when she heard her partner clear his throat to get her attention.

"Um, Pyrrha? First, why did you grab my hand, and would you let go? Your kind of crushing it." Jaune blushed. She had taken his hand, and he had allowed himself the guilty pleasure, knowing that she had not noticed that she had. But in the last minute or so, an angry look had come across her face and the grip of her hand had almost broken his own.

Pyrrha literally jumped half a foot in the air at the surprise contact, being pulled from her thoughts – she was thinking about how irritated she had been that Jaune would think so little of himself that he really believed that Neptune was better than he was.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry Jaune! I was trying not to embarrass you or me, and got lost in my thoughts." Pyrrha pulled her hand away as she jumped, wishing that she could hold his hand without the awkward tension between them. _Maybe after tomorrow that will change._ Her thoughts took her to the plan that the headmaster had seeded in her mind. Dinner was spent in an awkard silence as the leader and his partner did everything in their power to look at anything other than each other, while Ren and Nora were doting on each other.

Instead of the usual training that Pyrrha and Jaune did, the leader of team JNPR decided that they should all turn in early to get ready for tomorrow. Pyrrha tossed and turned, making sure that her plan was bulletproof. Jaune lay in his bed and worried about his team. _I should go on a walk, that should clear my head_ Jaune thought to himself as he stood, laced his boots and quietly strolled out of the room. Pyrrha watched him go, and desperately wanted to pull him back, and in to her bed with her.

Jaune was somewhere near the great hall when heard the telltale clack of a cane down the hall. He looked up to see his headmaster walking toward him.

"Hello Mr. Arc. I believe your team has a mission tomorrow, so why would you be wandering the halls this late at night?" Oz peered through his spectacles to analyze the tortured boy in front of him. "Could it be troubles with Ms. Nikos?" Jaune had yet to experience the headmaster's telepathic knowledge of his students, and did a double take at the question he was asked. _How could he have known that?_ Jaune kicked the carpet as he thought about his answer to Professor Ozpin.

"It's part of it. I worry about my team whenever we go on missions, but for some reason I don't want Pyrrha to go this time. I know that she is more than capable of taking care of herself, but..." Jaune struggled to find the words to say- he wanted to say that whenever she was in danger, he found that his heart skipped a beat, and his breath caught. That whenever she got wounded he wanted to take care of her and no one else.

"Your in love with your partner, and seeing them in danger in those circumstances makes you uneasy, am I correct?" Oz took a sip of his coffee and tapped his fingers rhythmically on his cane. "Mr. Arc, what If I told you that your partner would go to extreme lengths to prove her love to you? Why is it that you deny the feelings that you both share?" Professor Ozpin leaned into the door frame of the great hall as he allowed the young boy to process his words. He had not given Jaune much time before he sent some powerful words his way.

Jaune's mind spun in circles as he processed how perceptive his headmaster had been at reading his own feelings and thoughts. _Pyrrha would intentionally put herself in danger just to prove that she loves me and no one else? Why would she do that?_ Jaune fought with his own mind as he pushed the fact that he already knew the answer down deep. He thought long and heard about how he would answer Oz.

Jaune took a deep breath to steady himself before he answered. "Because I don't think that I am this great person that she must think I am. I'm just average, at best. I can barely lead this team well enough to say that I can send them in the right direction. It just feels like a lot of hard work, and not a lot of payoff. I can't believe that she would fall in love with a guy like me."

"Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that she may not love you for your skills?" without completing the question or the thought process, Professor Ozpin left the boy to his thoughts, letting him put the pieces together on his own. Jaune sank to his knees, finally grasping the gravity of his encounter with the headmaster. _She loves me for something other than what I can do as a huntsman?_ The thought was foreign to Jaune. He tried to accept this information, but his sleep deprived brain could not. The leader of team JNPR resigned himself to the fact that worrying about this now would do him no good, and that he would tackle the issue when he got back from the mission tomorrow.

Standing, Jaune made his way back to the dorm, quietly slipping inside. He took a moment to assess his team while they slept. In their shared bed, he knew that Ren and Nora would not have any issues tomorrow. Finally looking at Pyrrha, he found himself staring at the woman he loved, still trying to come to terms with the information that Oz had given him. This girl was the polar opposite of the warrior that the rest of the world saw, and was the one he had fallen in love with in the first place. Pyrrha lay on her side, in nothing but an oversized t-shirt that Jaune knew was his, but had never mentioned it when it went missing. The neck was so big that her ample breasts almost fully came out in her sleep, as she wore no bra. Her crimson hair fell over her sleeping face. Jaune noticed that she wore an expression of pain in her dreams, and knelt by her bed. He tucked a few strands that seemed like they were tickling her face, behind her ear.

"Jaune..." Pyrrhas expression softened as she sighed her partners name in her sleep. Jaune froze, inches from her face, worrying that he had woken her. He inched closer to her face. His whole being screamed at him to kiss the girl of his dreams, but he resisted. Jaune could not do something so rash when he still had not grasped his own feelings, let alone hers. He made his way to his bed, leaving the redhead to her dreams. She would not have any issues tomorrow, he was sure of that.

Jaune plopped into his bed, and the second his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep. The next morning the team was quiet as they readied for the fight ahead. An hour after the group returned from breakfast, they had begun the hike into the Forever Fall Forest, and were scouting for the creatures of Grimm. Jaune pointed his sword at the pack of Beowulves that were wandering through the forest, looking for any sadness that they could prey upon. Jaune returned to his team, standing a few feet behind him.

"Ren and Nora, I want you two to take the three on the left. Pyrrha and I will take the three on the right." Pyrrha couldn't help but feel like this was the perfect set up for her plan. She smiled something akin to the blood-crazed smile that the Spartans wore when fighting the Persians, as she readied herself for the coming fight. _You'll see how much you really have improved now._

Ren and Nora had dispatched two of the creatures when the remaining Alpha began to storm towards them. With a swing of her hammer, the craziest of the bunch quickly finished off the remaining Grimm in front of them. They took a moment to catch their breath while the other pairing beat down the creatures they had been assigned.

"Pyrrha! Watch out!" Jaune jumped to his crush's side, blocking a wild swing from the monster that remained. She had seen the swing and intentionally let it come, unknown to her partner. What she hadn't anticipated was that the Grimm would also swing from the other side. Pyrrha was knocked back 15 feet as the swing knocked the wind out of her lungs. "PYRRHA!" Jaune made a heroic slice to the neck of the creature, severing it's head before running to her. Her aura had prevented the gash that she would have received, but the force of the blow was enough to crack her ribs.

"Jaune, I can't breathe very well. I think it broke my ribs." Pyrrha gasped as she clutched her side. Jaune had to think fast to get her help, lest the rib puncture a lung and kill the girl. He scooped her up in his arms, _You didn't need to get hurt just to show me that I was good enough, dummy._ Jaune thought as he yelled back to the others.

"I'm taking Pyrrha to the infirmary! Cover me on the way back!" The trip was quick, and there were no Grimm to complicate matters. Jaune admitted his partner to the infirmary where her ribs where set correctly.

"You need to be watched for the next 72 hours continuously, should something happen. You can stay here, or someone else can be with you back in your dorm, but I don't want you going to classes for the next three days." the elderly doctor broke the news to the warrior. She was about to tell the doctor that she could stay here when Jaune – who had been by her side this whole time – spoke up.

"I'll stay with her, sir. I'm her team leader, it's my responsibility." Jaune spoke in monotone, not letting his anger at Pyrrha come through his speech. _She has three days to listen to me lecture her on this, now is certainly not the time._ Pyrrha stared at him in shock, as he filled out the paperwork to have her discharged. She wondered what had come over him to skip classes like this, just to watch her. There was no way he could have known what she had planned, even if it had gone horribly wrong. She banished the thought from her mind as she eased herself into the wheelchair.

When Jaune and Pyrrha returned, their teammates were waiting for them with food from the dining hall. After updating them on the situation – Pyrrha had broken four ribs and had some internal bleeding, for which the doctor had given her steroids – the team ate their dinner in absolute silence. Pyrrha felt like an idiot. She had been so focused on making sure that Jaune could see his own worth, that she had almost been killed. While she stewed in her mistake, Jaune thought of how he would confront her about this. _She was willing to give her live just because she wanted me to see what I'm worth._ Jaune's thoughts softened as he at last came to terms with the fact that there was no one for her but himself. Sensing the discomfort in the room, Ren and Nora decided to make themselves scarce, taking the trays to the dining hall, and returning to find that Jaune and Pyrrha had gone to bed. Following suit, the pair slid into each others embrace, and fell asleep quickly, tired from the day's fighting.

The painkillers kept Pyrrha asleep for a few hours longer than she would have slept, so when she woke, she found that Ren and Nora had already gone to class, and Jaune was sipping coffee at the desk. He looked mad. Really mad. The red haired woman prepared herself for the onslaught.

"How could you do that, Pyrrha?" Jaune began softly, betraying the anger that rode like a current beneath his words.

"Jaune, I..." Pyrrha's eyes filled with tears, and her throat felt thick, rendering her speechless has her lover continued.

"You almost died trying to prove to me that I was worth something. I know I'm worth something, but that was stupid and reckless." Jaunes voice picked up volume as he carried on.

"I know."

"Did you think that I wouldn't see that for what it was?"

"I don't know." Pyrrha looked into her hands in shame, realizing the gravity of her decision to put herself in harms way.

"I know that this was your way of trying to build me up, Pyrrha, But there was no need to that." Jaune could see that he was damaging the girl, and could no longer handle the pain he was putting her through. He stood, and sat with her on the bed, softening his voice as he did.

"I'm sorry, Jaune I really am. I just want you to see that your not just a good person, but your a worthy fighter, and capable of so much more than you think. I wanted you to see that I don't just love you for that, but for how hard you work to keep us all together, and to build us up. I wanted you to see tha-" Pyrrhas babbling was cut off as Jaune put his hands on her cheeks, and as softly as the breeze, kissed her.

When he pulled away, Pyrrhas eyes stayed closed for just a moment, savoring the kiss that had taken her breath away almost as effectively as being attacked by the grim.

"I know. Pyrrha, it's okay. Just don't scare me like that again. I couldn't live without the girl that I love. I promise that I will try to see myself in a better light, as long as you don't pull another one of these stunt again." Jaune had reconciled himself to the fact that he could live with the fact that he was not the best at anything, so long as Pyrrha were there to support him, when he had woken, and sipped his coffee, waiting for her to get up. He had good traits, he knew. If that was enough for her, it was for him too. He held his pinky out in an unspoken gesture to make a promise with her. Instead, he was pulled into her lips in a flurry of tears.

"Stay with me?" Pyrrha asked him as she pulled away from the second kiss, both of which had struck the two to their souls.

"An Arc never goes back on his word." Jaune whispered as he gently grabbed the back of Pyrrhas head, pulling her in for a different kind of kiss.

 _ **/Well that certainly was a close call! just a forewarning, the next chapter will be a bit smutty, so if you dont like that, skip it. just so everyone knows, i don't plan how to write these stories, i just sort of outline the basis for the start, and let them write themselves, so if they seem a bit left field sometimes, that is why. Come back next time to find out what will become of the newly formed ARKOS!**_


	3. Chapter 3 -- Desire

Chapter III – Desire

Pyrrha sighed into the arms of Jaune. They had made it, and nothing would ever come between them – Pyrrha would make sure of that. There was an electricity in the air as they pulled away from this last kiss. Pyrrha bit her lip hungrily. She wanted this man, and she wanted him now. There would be nothing that could stop her, short of Jaune running away, but there was no possibility of that.

Jaune felt himself start to get lost in his desire to make Pyrrha his. When she had pulled away and bitten her lip there was an unspoken question between the two as to whether they were ready for what would come next. They were both inexperienced in the ways of physical pleasures. Jaune had dedicated his life to becoming a better huntsman and Pyrrha had had no time from the time she had begun to feel the hungers associated with growing into adulthood. Jaune was the first to speak.

"Are you sure about this?" Jaune's question was loaded with meaning not lost to his newly found love.

"I am. Now c-come here?" Pyrrha had an idea, but was clueless as to how she should go about this. She knew what she wanted, but how would this happen? Jaune took notice that she had yet to relax; she was visibly worried about something. He hugged her head to his chest, so that she could feel the pounding of his heart. He was nervous too.

"See? I'm nervous too, let's start slow okay?" Jaune whispered as he traced her back. Just like holding his hands, this lit a fire in Pyrrhas belly, and in her heart. She stayed like this, enjoying the relaxing sensation of his hands. After what seemed like an infinite amount of time, - and bliss – to the girl, he felt his hands stop at her bra strap, hesitating. Pyrrha pulled her head away from his strong chest to look into his baby blue eyes. She nodded her approval at the questioning glance in his eyes, giving him permission to take her top off.

When Jaune refrained, Pyrrha began to worry that he did not feel the same way about this situation. She slid her hands from his chest, where they had been lightly feeling his heartbeat, and tracing around his shoulders, to cradle his face in her hands.

The boy melted at the motion, all his tension fading away as his lover traced his jawline. Jaune sighed in pleasure as he felt her hands move to his neck. Jaune had no idea that her hands could feel this good, even doing something so innocent. He moved his hands from her back, not undoing her bra. He wanted to enjoy this part of their encounter for just a little longer, so he pulled her in to a kiss, letting their tongues dance a battle between their mouths. As they kissed, something changed in them both, like a switch being flipped. The gentle need to be held and loved turned into an extreme and desperate hunger. Not a hunger for food, but a hunger for each other. Something that could not be sated with a mere kiss.

Pyrrha let her hands wander down her lovers abs, and when she reached the bottom of his shirt, lifted the hem. Jaune put his arms up so that she could lift it, only breaking their kiss for the briefest of moments while the useless cloth was removed from his torso. When it had been thrown to the other side of the room, Jaune placed his hands on Pyrrha's side, letting his hands explore her tight muscles, and gently grazing the side of her breasts. When his hands reached her hips, she lifted her own arms so that the ritual could be repeated on her.

Pyrrha wore a simple bra, with a bow in the space between her breasts. When Jaune's hands touched her bare torso, the red headed virgin gasped. If what she felt before was a fire of desire, than this new touch was something else. As Jaune traced her whole torso, gently laying the girl down she felt it grow into a blaze more akin to the suns surface. Her breathing quickly became ragged as she felt the wetness between her legs grow. Jaune lowered himself gently onto her body, increasing the blaze further, as she felt his own breath becoming more ragged.

Jaune felt himself grow in his jeans, something that did not go unnoticed by the girl in his arms, as when he lowered himself she let out a small squeak. His bulge was perfectly over the area of her clit, and they were being subconsciously stimulated as they lay feeling each other. Pyrrha could no longer take the anticipation and reached down from her lovers abs which she had been feeling, to grab his hips and grind them into her. His member pressed harder into her clit, and the pressure was undeniably pleasurable. Jaune lifted her enough to reach around and undo the clasp of her bra in the same moment, gasping at the new sensation. When he slipped of the article, he took a moment to gaze at the goddess beneath him. Her eyes lightly rolled into the back of her head as she felt the desire between them increase.

Having Jaune look at her at like this, with a hunger like a predator about to pounce was heady. Pyrrha reveled in the gaze, and pushed her hips with a gentle up and down motion into his. The answer she received was almost too much for her to take. Jaune kissed down her neck and collarbone, leaving electricity in his wake. When he reached her breasts he took the left one into his mouth by the nipple and let his instincts take over. He nibbled, and rolled the stiff nipple in his mouth, all the while earning him louder and louder moans from his lover.

Pyrrha felt like she would go insane if she had to wait for him anymore, and decided to take matters into her own hands – literally. She reached down and swiftly removed him of his jeans. After returning the favor, Jaune felt a hand around his cock, gently gripping and pulling on it while he moaned into her breasts. He had moved to the other side of her chest when they somehow found their way out of the rest of the underwear seperating them.

Jaune looked down to find a bald sex, nearly dripping in desire for him, and his own member resting on the most northerly of folds. He lifted himself up on his elbows, hands near the side of Pyrrha's face. His body felt like it would explode as he guided himself slowly to her opening. When he reached it, Pyrrha's eyes went wide and she almost passed out from the pleasure of feeling him between her lower lips. Before he entered her, Jaune once again looked to his lover for permission. Pyrrha bit her lip, nodding. She needed to feel him inside of her now. Nora had told Pyrrha of her own first time, saying how the first few seconds would be painful, but that it would quickly pass.

Jaune plunged into her, quickly burying himself to the hilt in her sex. Pyrrha cried out in a mix of pain and the height of her pleasure so far that night. Jaune stayed there until the expression of pain relaxed on her face.

"Are you okay?" He asked as she unwittingly clenched around his cock, causing it to swell within her. The sensation was enough to earn him a coo from the woman he had just deflowered. Pyrrha's expression of pain and pleasure was softening into something more like pure bliss. She felt so full from how large her lover was. She wanted to start slow so she could accustom herself to this new feeling. It was like she was complete for the first time in her life.

"Mhmm, just be careful with me, okay?" Jaune was startled at the sentence, which came out more of a sigh of pleasure as she nodded in response to his question. He started a slow pulse in and out of Pyrrha, causing her to moan in pleasure at the feeling of having Jaune – HER Jaune – fill her and complete her. As Jaune slowly allowed himself to speed up, spurred on by the increasing sounds of pleasure from his lover, Pyrrha felt herself approaching something, and a pressure building up inside of her. Jaune was feeling the same thing, and the closer he got, the larger the tip of his cock swelled inside of her.

That increased pressure and size was a perfect storm, which was a hurricane of screams of pleasure from Pyrrha, who quickly reached her first ever, and earth shattering at that, orgasm as she pulled Jaune into her arms. She could not speak, as she shook violently and lost motor function throughout her body. The clenching and spasming of Pyrrha's sex brought Jaune near his own. In a moment of clarity among the haze of pleasure, Jaune gasped out,

"Where?" The question was only one word, but the intent was understood. Pyrrha could not speak, but she managed to pat the area above her clit in an unspoken permission to Jaune, letting him know that he could let himself go inside of her. _I'm not on the pill...Would we be ready for that? Wha- Oh. My. God._ Pyrrha's internal concern was cut off as another orgasm wracked her body – The response from feeling his copious seed enter and fill her completely, even after he pulled out.

Pyrrha held her lover on top of herself, both of them covered in a light sheen of sweat over the last 25 minutes. Her thoughts were a jumble as she came down from her second orgasm, so she decided to ogle Jaune who lay on and next to her. He was fast asleep, and she could feel her own soreness from the nights activities pulling her to sleep as well. Pyrrha decided to cover them both, which earned her a groan of dissatisfaction from Jaune as his lovely breast pillows were taken away momentarily. When Pyrrha laid back down with a blanket over them both, she pick up his head and lay it on her breast once more. The moment she let her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep. That night, for the first time in a long time, Pyrrha dreamed of white dresses, rings, and children. Jaune dreamed of Pyrrha, and a ring box, and children.

 _ **/I'm sorry that this took so long to post folks. My brother passed last week, and i was stuck taking care of things. i just didnt feel like i could write smut like this until i got things settled down a bit. but here you go. this will be the first of the smutty bits, and maybe the most smutty, but im not sure. i have a few ideas i want to flesh out in the following chapters. let me know what you think./**_


	4. Chapter 4 -- Spring In Bloom

Chapter IV – Spring In Bloom

Pyrrha groaned as the sunlight streamed through the blinds and into her eyes, effectively waking her up. She was sore, so she went to stretch, as to avoid the stiffness that would accompany the pain that she had been accustomed to. However, as she went to sit up, she noticed some things. First that she was naked. Second and more alarmingly that she was in the embrace of Jaune, who was also naked in bed. Her sleep fogged mind was slow to come to the memory of what had transpired last night. Her ribs ached, bringing the memory back of her foolish plan to win over Jaune. However successful it had been, the cost was almost too great.

 _No, I can't think like that, he is my entire world, and I would have gladly given my life._ Pyrrha curbed herself and the self wallowing train of thought. Instead of getting up like she usually would, she settled into Jaune's chest. She breathed in his heady scent, relaxed into his strong arms, and let out a sigh of content. Jaune stirred as she nuzzled into his chest.

Jaune woke to find himself holding one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. This was a relief to him, as he had subconsciously worried that this had all been a dream and that he would wake up alone once again, agonizing over Pyrrha. He noticed that what had woken him had been a sigh from the girl, who was unintentionally favoring her injured ribs. He slowly adjusted so that she would not have to do so and she visibly relaxed.

 _Man, I hope she's ok. Last night was...Rigorous. Where do we go from here though?_ Jaune fretted for a few more minutes internally, while he stroked the sleeping girls hair. Then he came to a realization – Ren and Nora would be in the room and seeing all of this. What would he do? How would they respond? Jaune craned his neck around slowly as not to wake Pyrrha, to inspect his team members, who would undoubtedly be cackling soon. Instead, what he saw was something closer to a doting look, like something that parents would give their children coming from the already woken and ready RenNora.

"Hey, their awake. Should we leave them be while they get dressed?" Ren whispered as he noticed Jaune stirring to look over at them. He knew the answer before he got it.

"Naw! Everybody already knew that they were head over heels for each other. Let 'em simmer as they wake up. Ha!" Nora was jumping with excitement at her plan to embarrass the two who were still in bed.

Jaune moaned in exasperation and just pointed to the door – a silent instruction to leave so they could get ready for the day without being embarrassed more than they already were. "Go get some breakfast. We may or may not be there soon. I'll talk to Pyrrha about it when she wakes up." Jaune whispered, not bothering to look at the two, the orange haired girl slumped as she was pushed out of the dorm. The sound of the door opening woke Pyrrha, who put a soft slender hand on her lover's face while she kissed his chest.

"Did they finally leave?"

"Yea. How about a shower, beautiful?" Jaune asked in his usual quirky demeanor, which resulted in a playful slap on his chest. Pyrrha let out a sharp gasp of pain with the motion, bringing both of their attention to her injuries. "Do you want to have the first shower?"

"Sure." Pyrrha steeled herself as she felt pang after pang of pain as she worked her way out of bed and toward the bathroom. She silently debated whether or not to tease him a bit on her way. She decided against it as the next step she took wracked her ribs like a switch. Pyrrha stepped into the shower and closed the glass door. She turned on the hot water and let the soothing heat wash over her sore body. She noticed that she was also sore somewhere that she had not been when she had first returned to the dorm. Her face flushed deep red and she hugged herself and quietly squealed with delight, despite the pain it caused.

She realized that she was in quite the predicament when she went to reach for the body wash and slipped – her core muscles would not allow her to bend in most directions due to the pain. She went to stand, and couldn't. _Oh no! What am I going to do?!_ She fretted for only a moment more until she realized that she had one option, and that was a very sexy option that was currently waiting for the shower anyway in the dorm.

"Jaune! Help!" Pyrrha allowed her worry to be accented with sensuality, ensuring that the boy would come running. Sure enough, he poked his head in without looking directly at her – always the chivalrous knight.

"What happened? What do you need me to do?" Jaune's fear for her condition served only to endear him to Pyrrha, who was sitting against the shower wall, not bothering to cover up, as she would have done normally. She drunk in the sight of her worry ridden lover, before she pointed a finger and bid him come.

"I fell trying to get the soap, and I can't reach it. Also, I can't get up. W-w-would you please join me?" The response that Pyrrha got from her blonde boy was exactly what she had wanted, she watched as he flushed, pulled himself the rest of the way in the room, led by his sizable member. Jaune joined her in the shower, and with a kiss on her forehead, picked her up by the elbows. Pyrrha fell into his arms, and they stayed like this for a while, letting the water soak them.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jaune pulled softly away so that he could stare into the emerald eyes of his lover, and to ask her a question.

"Do you want me to take care of washing you?" Jaune asked it so sweetly and so gently, that even if she wanted to, there was no chance she could have said no. Pyrrha just nodded as the man she loved gently lathered her body. This was no sexual thing, but something done with reverence, and an almost worship. Jaune finished slowly, taking his time, and enjoying the closeness they shared.

"Do you think you can reach your hair, or would you like me to wash that as well?" Pyrrha thought for a moment, giggled and responded as she recovered from the pain of the laugh.

"Jaune women don't usually wash their hair every day. It dries it out too much. I washed it yesterday, so it will be fine. Can I stay here while you take care of yourself?" Pyrrha's question was loaded with meaning, but Jaune had other plans for the day, and did not want to waste the energy on that this morning.

"Sure. I'll be quick, because I plan on making sure you stay in bed today, and maybe we can go for a walk tonight or tomorrow morning..." Jaune hesitated as he thought about how he wanted to say what he felt for her. "...I'm not ever leaving your side, until you tell me to go. I'm madly in love with you Pyrrha. Stay with me?" Jaune said it slowly, so as not to trip over his own words.

"Jaune.. I couldn't have said it better myself. Just make sure you protect me, okay?" The request was something that she knew was out of the ordinary, as she could very well take care of herself, but there was something about Jaune standing watch over her that made her feel loved in a way that she had never felt before. Jaune nodded and they shared the sweetest of kisses before Jaune quickly washed himself.

He stepped out of the shower and said "Stay here, I'll be back before you know it." Jaune raced over to grab two towels, and returned. He held Pyrrha's out to her open, so that she could step into it, and he deftly tied it into a knot around her good side. This completed, he gently swept her up into a princess carry. With his Pyrrha in Jaune's arms, he quietly padded over to the bed, and set her down, sitting up. When she was settled, Pyrrha pointed to her dresser.

"Would you grab me my underwear, so I can put it on?" Jaune nodded as he flushed, he had never ventured into the depths of womens clothes, and was thoroughly dumbfounded by the sheer number they had. Jaune quickly returned with a matching set of bra and panties for his love. As Pyrrha went to put on the bra, her body recoiled from the movement, and she let out a squeak of pain so quiet that Jaune almost missed it.

In dismay, Pyhhra let her bra drop to her lap, and began to cry. Jaune could sense her feeling of helplessness, and quietly sat behind her on the edge of the bed. He straddled her, and picked up the bra, and slid it on. When he had figured out the clasps on the back, he turned Pyrrha to face him. Pyrrha noticed a gentle finger wiping away her tears, and looked up to see her caretaker doting on her like she was the most precious gem in the world.

"Thank you so much. I guess I really do need someone to take care of me."

"Like I said, I'm never leaving your side, Pyrrha." With his confirmation of love, Jaune pulled Pyrrha into a gentle hug. As they sat, Pyrrha began to shiver. Jaune grabbed her towel from the floor, and wrapped the crimson hair into it with skill that no man had ever done before.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Pyrrha tilted her head quizzically.

"Seven sisters, remember?" Jaune's signature crooked smile warmed Pyrrhas heart as he grabbed her panties, and slid them up, with much less prowess as he had with her hair. It was apparent that this was his first time doing this for a woman. As he did, he left quick pecks on her perfectly toned legs. A new kind of shiver ran up Pyrrha's spine. She pulled him up for a hungry kiss. When they separated, Jaune booped her on the nose.

"Later, my beautiful warrior." Jaune whispered into her ear. " I'll call Ren and have him bring some breakfast up for us, your not in the best shape." Jaune had noticed that Pyrrha's pallor had become whiter as they had finished their shower and gotten dressed. A quick scroll call later, Jaune dressed himself and sat at the desk to finish an essay that was due next week while Pyrrha admired his form from the bed.

 _Is he really all mine? No, it's not a dream, and Jaune and I will be together forever._ The whimsical thought was unlike Pyrrha, but Jaune had that effect on her. She liked it. As she doted on her lover, she felt her self slip into a restful sleep.

The next few days passed as the new lovers passed the information on to team RWBY. Who congratulated them heartily. Later that day, teams RWBY and JNPR celebrated in the latter's dorm, with a feast and their favorite board game, Battle of Remnant. When everything was cleaned and the Ruby and Weiss left hand in hand, team JNPR readied themselves for bed.

Pulling the quickly healing Pyrrha closer as they lay in bed, Jaune remembered Blake saying something about Professor Ozpin replacing the four small beds in their dorm with 2 larger ones, and smiled. He didn't mind the small bed because it allowed him to be closer to Pyrrha. _But, I guess a bigger bed would mean more space for...THAT._ Jaune allowed his mind to wander as Pyrrha quickly fell asleep in his arms.

The next day, as the newly found couple walked hand in hand to the on campus doctors office, Jaune was hesitant about something.

"What is it? Something's on your mind, Jaune." Pyrrha gripped his hand just a little tighter, worried about what had Jaune concerned.

"Pyrrha, if this goes well, would you like to go on a date with me?" Jaune spluttered out the question, embarrassed at how hard it was to ask his newly found love. They had been taking walks among the gardens of Beacon for the last few days, but a true to form date? That seemed like a whole new world. One that he wanted so deperately go to.

" Of course, don't forget that I made you a promise, my knight." Pyrrha leaned up on her tip toes to kiss Jaune on the cheek. Jaune flushed a deep red at the affirmation to his question.

15 minutes later and a clean bill of health, the two headed back to the dorm, where the rest of their team and Team RWBY waited for Jaune and Pyrrha.

"I'm 100% guys. I'm really okay." Pyrrha scratched her head in embarrassment at the eager looks on the faces in front of her. Cheers erupted from them all, as the White Rose, Bumblebee, and RenNora couples hugged and hugged Jaune and Pyrrha. It was the leader of team RWBY who spoke first.

"I'm so happy for you guys. I'm so happy that your okay Pyrrha!" the now grown Ruby spoke so fast that her lover Weiss had to translate for her. After all the excitement, Jaune now had a very serious task in front of him. That night, before bed, Jaune did research on how he should go about this date. First asking Ren, then Nora. They were no real help so he reached out to the White Rose. He texted Ruby and Weiss replied first via her lovers scroll.

 _"_ _I took Ruby to Vale on our first date. Make sure that your taking her places she likes. It's the most important thing to make sure that you make her happy._ _Weiss**"_

 _"_ _Oh one other thing, get flowers! She loves those! Ruby :)"_

The quick fire response from his friends helped him to cement in his mind what had already taken form there. Jaune slipped into bed with his already sleeping lover. Pyrrha sighed in her sleep, and pulled him into her arms – she was cold without him in bed with her. Jaune quickly fell asleep, as he would need rest for tomorrows fun. He did not dream that night.


	5. Chapter 5 -- The Question

Chapter V – The Question

Jaune woke before dawn so that he could begin his preparations for the evening, that had taken form in his mind while he slept. He needed to make some calls before Pyrrha woke so that he could keep the entire night a surprise. He knew that she loved surprises, especially if he was the one who planned them. Although in the past they had not gone well. There was that time when he accidentally attracted an entire horde of Rapier Wasps when he had planned a picnic for the team. The thought made him shudder as he left the dorm to make his calls.

Pyrrha woke almost an hour later alone in the bed. She bolted upright, frightened that Jaune was not there – she was almost always the first one of the two to wake in the mornings. Ren was coming out the bathroom in a robe when she plied him with questions.

"Ren did you see Jaune leave this morning?"

"No, but he mentioned last night that he had somethings he needed to do early today." Ren knew exactly what his leader was up to and would not be held responsible for ruining Jaune's plans.

"Oh." Was the only reply that the crimson haired warrior could muster up. She worried as she readied herself for the day, until she heard Jaune's voice back in the main room of the dorm. She walked out, and Jaune knew immediately that he was in for one hell of a training session this morning for their practical sparring class.

Jaune's premonition proved to be right, as blow after savage blow from Milo served to effectively drain his aura quickly during the fights. "Your mad at me aren't you?" Jaune asked as he let loose his goofy grin that always melted his girlfriends heart.

"I'm just worried that your planning on doing something like I did, to show me that you love me. I almost got myself killed ya know." Pyrrha and Jaune sat in front of their lockers, drinking water and cooling down from the class that had effectively wiped them out. This worried Jaune, because while Pyrrha had no idea that they would be going into Vale that evening for an all night date, Jaune did.

"Well, why don't we head back to the dorm. I promise it's nothing crazy, but I was planning on taking you on a date tonight. That is why I left so early this morning." Jaune's baby blue eyes pierced into Pyrrha's own. There was something there that she just could not place, and she was determined to find out what was on his mind, come hell or high water.

"Oh, that sounds like fun. Let's head back, I need some time to relax if we are going into town tonight." Pyrrha's own smile was warm, letting Jaune know that he had been forgiven. He held out his hand for her to take and they headed to the dorm. The walk was fairly quiet, with only the occasional word about the weather.

Pyrrha noticed that there was only two beds in the room upon their return. There was a letter from Professor Ozpin.

Pyrrha/Jaune,

I have taken the liberty of replacing your bed, with the knowledge that you two have become and item. I hope that the gesture is well received, and that in the future you feel that you can come to me with anything you have on your mind.

Sincerely, Oz

Jaune placed his hand on Pyrrha's which she had put on his shoulder. "That was very kind of him, wasn't it?" Pyrrha whispered into her lovers ear, placing a kiss on his hand.

"What do you say we break it in?" Jaune's usual demeanor had returned, with the rest he had gotten on the walk back from class. His response was just a sigh of pleasure, as Pyrrha leaned into him. They took full advantage of the next half hour that they would have before the other members of team JNPR would return to the dorm. As they lay in the afterglow of the last round of fun, Jaune was tracing circles on Pyrrha's stomach, something that he had learned relaxed her immensely.

This time, Pyrrha was the first to extricate herself. As she did so, she was stopped by Jaune.

"Hey love, get dressed well for tonight. I will too." Jaune gave her a quick swat on the rear as she sashayed to the bathroom to begin getting ready. Jaune lay in bed and wondered how he would get himself ready as by the time that she would be finished with her own preparation. He decided to send a text to his friends across the hall.

 _"_ _Hey, do you guys mind if I borrow your bathroom to get ready while Pyhrra gets ready over here for our date?"_ Jaune knew that this was a long shot, but he needed to figure something out. The response from Ruby was quick.

 _"_ _we can make scarce. Just clean up after yourself. And good luck!"_ Jaune grabbed what he needed so that he could get ready and raced across the hall. 45 minutes later, Jaune returned to the dorm to find Pyhhra sitting on the edge of their bed, looking like a goddess.

The crimson haired warrior was dressed in a mid-thigh length dress, that clung to her skin in just the right way so that one could see all of her curves perfectly. Due to the fact that the dress was fairly tight around her already tone body, it served to accent her already voluptuous body. Her hair was let down in soft curls that framed her face and fell to just over her breasts when she pulled it forward in nervousness. Her skin was a perfect olive color and did not need any kind of make up save for the light green eye shadow that caused her already beautiful green eyes to explode with color. She stood and let her mouth hang at the sight of the man before her.

Jaune was never one for dressing up, so no one had ever really seen him look like this aside from at dances. He stood in a form fitting suit. Over the years his body had filled out from training daily with Pyrrha and class in general. The suit was a charcoal grey with a white top, and the tie he wore was a silk necktie that was a brilliant shade of blue that matched the color of his eyes and served to bring attention to them. He had slicked his hair into a style reminiscent of the '40s. In a word the man in front of Pyrrha looked debonair. She felt the need to make Jaune hers then and there, but she knew that he had made some grand plan for them both this evening.

"Pyrrha...Just, wow..." Jaune could think of nothing else to say to his lover. He had no other words to describe the beauty before him. "We should go, the next airship to Vale will be leaving soon." Jaune reached his hand out to the redhead, which she took and he gently pulled her up and out of the room.

Side by side, the two lovers boarded the airship, and quietly teased each other so as not to alert the other passengers aboard the airship of the amorous activity. After an all to short ride, they landed in Vale. They disembarked, and Jaune wordlessly led Pyrrha to a restaurant that served food that was traditional to Mistral.

He knew that she had not returned home since they had begun their training at Beacon Academy, and her parents had been so busy that the correspondence between the Nikos family had been few and far between. When Jaune gave his name to the maitre d, they were taken back to an intimate little booth in the back of the restaurant.

When Pyrrha sat in the booth, she connected the dots as to why her lover had brought her here, and she began to feel tears in her eyes at the caring her lover was currently showing her. _If the rest of the night is anything like how we started, then I may not be able to keep myself from crying._ Pyrrha's heart was so full of love and contentment that she could not contain herself. She fiercely kissed Jaune, breaking only to answer the waiter when he arrived for their drink order.

In a very un-Jaune like move, he ordered them a bottle of a champagne that was made in Mistral. When they had ordered their food, they were quiet. Jaune was reveling in his ability to illicit such a reaction in Pyrrha. He grabbed her hand as they finished their dessert.

"Was this okay?" Jaune asked Pyrrha gently, as though he were talking to the breeze. She responded with a look into his eyes. Jaune could see the happiness in the tears that were forming in the corners of her own, and chose to lean in for a kiss. This was unlike any other kiss the pair had shared, conveying the appreciation and love they felt for one another.

Jaune payed the pill, tipped the waiter, and stood. He reached his hand out to Pyrrha, and when she took it, led her out and on to the street. Jaune led his lover through the streets of Vale, allowing a few detours as Pyrrha saw things that interested her. When she was particularly interested in something, he made sure to purchase it before they left. This was the second part of his grand plan for the night. The last part was just around the next corner.

Pyrrha had always had an obsession with her weapons, making sure that they were in perfect condition, constantly making sure that her armorer was implementing new systems into her Milo on a regular basis. They rounded the corner, and Pyrrha found herself standing infront of the armorer that she had entrusted her armor and weapons to for years. She cast a quizzical look in Jaune's direction, to which he only replied with a smile.

They entered the store, and the old man had placed both her armor and Milo onto displays.

"I had them sent here this morning, when I left. I had an idea for you that you have been talking about for Milo lately." Jaune answered the unspoken question that Pyrrha had sent him as she took notice of the glistening bronze equipment that belonged to her. She approached her trusted armor and noticed that there was new engraving set into the leather, in a beautiful pattern. It seemed to glow as if it were emblazoned with dust. Once again Jaune answered her question as though he could read her mind.

"I had your armorer stamp the leather with a special dust that alerts you of danger, when its not in your line of sight. A similar engraving was put on Milo – except it allows it to propel itself beyond the control of your semblance." Jaune paused as he watched her marvel at the newly improved weapon and armor. "I know that you like to make sure that they are up to date. I hope that you like it." Jaune sheepishly scratched his head for a moment.

Before he could form another thought, Pyrrha had closed the distance between them and placed her lips fiercely on his. They kissed hard and passionate for a few moments before she broke the kiss. She left the embrace of Jaune, to thank the armorer for taking care of her once again. Jaune came to the counter to discuss with the man across from him about sending them back to Beacon Academy. As they spoke, Pyrrha had attached herself to Jaune's arm and showed no signs of letting go.

 _I really hope that Ren and Nora aren't there when we get back, because I am going to attack Jaune the second we get through the door._ Pyrrha's mind wandered through the scenario that she was quick to create in her mind. She blushed when she realized that Jaune was looking at her, wondering why she was gripping his hand so tight.

The pair was tired, and this became apparent as Jaune's gait became quite clumsy. When they reached the airship that would take them home, Pyrrha felt the anticipation for the night to come well up inside of her. She thought of hundreds of ways that she could make Jaune feel good while he slowly dozed on the ride back. _Good,_ She thought, _He'll be well rested for tonight._ It did not take long for them to get back to Beacon.

Jaune roused himself and took Pyrrha's hand as they made their way to the dorm that they shared. When they came through the door, Pyrrha was relieved to see that their teammates had found somewhere else to be tonight. Jaune's tired mind wondered where they might be staying for the night, or if they would be back in the morning. His answer came in the form of a note much like that of Professor Ozpin's earlier.

Hey Guys! Ren and I decided to go with Team RWBY to the movies. Won't be back until morning! Have fun! – Love, Ren and Nora.

While short, the note was a relief to the couple who stood in each other's arms reading it together much like they had before. Jaune was invigorated and wanted to spend more time with Pyrrha at this point, but as he looked at his crimson haired lover, he saw the beautiful green orbs of her eyes droop with exhaustion. Pyrrha was more tired than she had anticipated and nearly fainted in Jaune's arms.

"Hey, why don't we save the last surprise for the morning huh sleeping beauty?" Jaune asked of his girlfriend. She nodded into his strong chest, and silently held her arms up in a request to be helped out of her dress. Jaune kissed his way down each arm that resulted in a sigh of contentment and pleasure from Pyrrha. He quickly unzipped the dress and relieved her of it.

Jaune left one hand on Pyrrha's hips as he leaned over to their now shared dresser and grabbed one of his t-shirts he slipped it over her head and picked the girl up. Gently he set her down on the bed, laying the blankets over her. He knew that his own clothing would take a moment to return to it's place in the closet, and did not want her to have to wait for him.

Once his own attire had found its home in the closet, Jaune went to follow Pyrrha to bed, finding the girl already asleep. He decided that he would let her sleep some before waking her to get in himself, falling into his chair to study the area of Haven where their next big mission would be. He woke with a shake on his shoulder.

Jaune woke suddenly with his face planted in the map that he was making notes on, when Pyrrha shook him slightly. "Come to bed sweetheart. Your dead tired, and you promised me the morning." a salacious look came over the half sleeping Pyrrha as she thought of what waited them in the morning.

Pyrrha had woken a few seconds earlier with a shiver, realizing that her human space heater had not come to bed after he had undressed. She had sat up to find him in his current position and chose to acquire her heater from the desk he was asleep at. Jaune just nodded and followed Pyrrha to bed, feeling her cool body as he hugged her to his chest. He was almost in the folds of sleep when a whisper came from below.

"I love you Jaune. Let's get married." Pyrrha started when she had realized what her sleep fogged mind had allowed to pass her lips. She was even more surprised when she felt Jaune nod and kiss the top of her head. They both promptly fell asleep, with Pyrrha's half sleep induced proposal at the forefront of their minds.

/ _ **WWWWHHHHHHAAAAAATTTT? so that last paragraph was never intended, But hey, like i always say, i let these stories write themselves. will romance or awkward comedy ensue? even i don't know! FIND OUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF Rising Phoenix!/**_


	6. Chapter 6 -- A Propsal!

Rising Phoenix

Chapter 6

A Proposal?!

Jaune woke the next morning to the sensation of Pyrrha's soft breath on his neck. His sleep-fogged brain still trying to make complete thoughts when he remembered the last words that Pyrrha had said to him last night.

 _I am just so glad that she said it first!_ Jaune let his mind wander in the early morning as his Pyrrha lightly murmured in her sleep. _I need to make sure that I do this the right way though, and propose like a man._ Jaune lay there for a moment more before he looked at his scroll and noticed the time: 4:45 AM. He was awake far earlier than he usually was and his initial confusion as to why Pyrrha was still in bed subsided as he realized that she would not wake for at least another hour. The golden haired warrior felt his lover's hand brush against some of his larger scars as he extricated himself carefully, so as not to wake her. He had preparations to make.

Jaune got ready for the day just like any other, but instead of waiting for Pyrrha to wake and complete her own morning routine, he walked across the hall to consult his counterpart in team RWBY. He knew that at least Ruby and Weiss would be awake. Ever since they had gotten engaged last month, Jaune had noticed that they were up unusually early every day and hoped to take advantage of that this morning. Ruby opened the door when he knocked, still in her pajamas with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"G'morning Jaune. What's got you up so early?" The scythe wielder let Jaune into the room. Her partner gave a halfhearted wave to the not so uncommon interruption to what Jaune had realized must have been a new morning ritual for them. Ruby quietly returned to her lover at the window while Jaune sat on her bed behind them. "Something happened with Pyrrha, am I right?" Ruby didn't look at him when she said it.

"Yea, but it's not bad at all!" Jaune paused to collect his thoughts and present his issue in the right light. "Pyrrha and I got home late last night, and as she was falling asleep she said she wanted to get married. I want that so much it hurts, but I don't want to read to much into something that she said as she was basically asleep. What should I do?" The man's voice broke with his last sentence as he realized how much this woman meant to him. Ruby heard this and moved with her lover to comfort her fellow leader. As Jaune lay his head in his hands in despair, Ruby and Weiss spoke softly.

"Jaune, you know Pyrrha better than anyone else. If you feel like this is the right time to do this then you should take the plunge and do what feels right." Ruby spoke first, with a comforting smile. "You know, When Ruby and I first got together, we were so nervous and scared of what the other was thinking that we almost missed our chance. You know she loves you, right?" Weiss spoke softly, with less of the icy edge that she usually reserved for Jaune.

"You're both right… I will do what I think is right, and I know that we love each other more than anything else in the world. The problem is how I should propose." Jaune was invigorated by his compatriots, and his resolve was taking hold in him.

"HAHAHA!" Both of the women remembered how much thought Ruby had put into her proposal and did not envy the work ahead of Jaune, laughing hysterically and waking up their teammates. "Oops." They hushed each other quickly, but the damage was done. Both Blake and Yang woke up and sat together on the bed while Yang took a while to notice Jaune in the room with them.

"Mornin'."

"Good Morning."

The Bumblebee saw what was happening and jumped in to help their friend as they were filled in on the details. Blake spoke first, "Well, being honest with her about your feelings would be a good way to start. Let her know everything you feel."

"Yup, that is a surefire way to make her happy. Insert sarcastic comment here." Yang was simply too tired to bother with a witty quip this morning but felt for Jaune and what he was going through.

"Thanks so much guys! I really appreciate it." With that Jaune raced out the door. He quietly left his lover a note, " _I have to run to Vale this morning, I will be back later today. I love you Pyrrha. P.S. Yes."_ Jaune hoped that she would understand the message, and that his absence wouldn't upset her too much. He grabbed his shield and sword on his way out of the dorm and boarded a transport into Vale. Jaune's heart pounded as he walked through the beautiful streets of Vale in search of a jeweler. Not finding anything, he stopped at a park to think and rest when a godsend came in the form of a text from Ruby.

" _From Dust to Diamonds. I called them and let them know you're on the way. You'll thank me later. Best of luck!"_

Jaune stood and walked toward the store that was on the other side of the city. _That must be where they got the necklaces that they have. I wonder what kind of rings they would have._ The warrior mused as he walked into the shop and was greeted by the musty smell of an old shop that reminded him of home. He wandered toward some of the cases as he realized that he knew nothing of what Pyrrha would like in a ring.

Pyrrha was woken by a shiver. _Wow, it's cold. I bet that Jaune is in the shower. Think I'll join him._ Pyrrha stood, sore and looking forward to relaxing in the hot water with her lover when she noticed a note floating to the floor as she stood. _It must have been on the bed next to me._ She picked it up and her heart soared as she read it.

" _I have to run to Vale this morning. I will be back later today. I love you Pyrrha. P.S. Yes."_

Admittedly, it took Pyrrha's sleep fogged mind to comprehend the post script of the note. When she remembered the night before, and her fumbled proposal, Pyrrha's face turned the color of her hair as she was filled with embarrassment. _God! I was going to ask him soon, but not like that! I'm just happy he said yes though. We are just two peas in a pod huh? I ask the man to marry me half asleep and he responds through a scribbled note._

Pyrrha was overcome with joy at this latest realization that she would be spending the rest of her life with Jaune, and in a very un-Pyrrha motion squealed and giggled while she danced in a circle. The noise woke the other members of team JNPR who sat up and immediately began to interrogate the alien that looked like Pyrrha in the middle of the room.

"What happened? Are you okay? Where's Jaune? Pyrrha?" Ren's questions were the more understandable of the two as Nora jumped up and mumbled something about an Ursa stealing her pancakes. Both Ren and Pyrrha stared in amazement as Nora fell back to bed and went directly into a deep sleep. "I love that she can do that." Ren looked at Nora with adoring eyes for a moment and returned his attention to Pyrrha. "This is very unlike you Pyrrha. Is everything alright between you and Jaune?"

"Well… REN HE SAID YES!" Pyrrha, unable to control her enthusiasm, grabbed Ren and danced a jig with him as Ren cheered for her and Jaune, still confused as to what on the earth she was talking about. In typical Ren fashion, however, he put two and two together. The teammates woke Nora and shared the news as she woke up. "Okay," Pyrrha said, as she sat down on the bed, sore from yesterday. "Jaune said that he would be going into town today and that he would be back later on. So I'm going to get ready and meet him for dinner tonight in Vale. We will be late to don't wait up to long for us!" Pyrrha had regained most of her calm and decisive demeanor, and wanted to celebrate the occasion with her lover.

" _Hey, First off I love you so much. Also meet me at the place we had our first date tonight when you get done. My treat. See you soon."_ With her message sent, Pyrrha began her preparations. She would look her best for tonight. With Renora gone, she had no teammates to help her with her preparations. " _Hi guys, I'm meeting Jaune in Vale tonight. Could one of you help me pick the best thing to wear? I'm really nervous about it."_ No sooner had the red-haired warrior sent her message did all of team RWBY burst into the room, with their leader towing the rest behind in a whirlwind of petals.

"Hi Pyrrha! We are here to assist!" Ruby's usual bubbly manner seemed like it was at a whole new level today as she flew around the room, grabbing lingerie, dresses, giving her fiancé directions while Blake and Yang went to work on Pyrrha herself. It was not long before a conversation was struck by Yang.

"So we heard from a little birdy that you proposed to Jaune last night. Has he said anything to you about it Pyrrha?"

"Well, he was gone this morning when I woke up but he left me this note. Pyrrha removed herself from the careful hands of Blake and Weiss – who were doing her make up at the time – to retrieve the note. All five girls looked at the note with the scrutiny of a hawk to analyze the meaning of every word when Blake gave a purr of approval and returned Pyrrha to her chair. She and Weiss continued their work as team RWBY gave a detailed analysis of the note. Weiss was the first to speak.

"I think that was a definitive answer, but I'm not so sure about doing with a scribbled not. That man's handwriting is atrocious!"

"He is definitely out there planning something. He's probably the most thoughtful man in the world. I'm sure that whatever it is, he will make it amazing. He really loves you, ya know?" Ruby spoke softly, with a wisdom that seemed out of place for the woman. Everyone in the room murmured in agreement with the statement. Pyrrha sat quietly as the girls finished her makeup. When they finished, Pyrrha was stripped, and all of the girls marveled at her perfect figure. The lingerie that was chosen for her was a subtle yet sexy lace number. The dress was a hint at the upcoming tying of vows, a light cream with a deep neck that came to just above her panty line. With Pyrrha's shape, the dress was very revealing and sure to catch Jaune's attention. The bottom of the dress was tight to her legs and slit to her thigh, just giving the slightest hint of her underwear.

When team RWBY was satisfied that Pyrrha would knock her lover off her feet Pyrrha felt her scroll buzz.

" _That sounds great. I can be there in about an hour. I just got done and I want to talk to you about something tonight too! I love you"_ Pyrrha's heart sank from the heights that it had been flying at all day. _Did he change is mind? Is he going to take it back? What happened? Maybe this isn't going to be the night I thought it would be._ Pyrrha's heart raced as she began to tear up.

"I think that he is going to tell me no when I get there tonight…" Pyrrha spoke with choked words being careful to avoid ruining her make up.

"If not, then you still have time to get to that point, right? Go out there and knock his socks off!" Yang was the one who responded with her give'em hell attitude. Spurring Pyrrha to her feet, the words drove home the fact that if tonight was her worst nightmare, she would still have Jaune and she would not give him up. Pyrrha thanked her friends and dried her eyes one more time before setting off for the night.

Jaune sat in the corner booth of a romantic restaurant, the one where he and Pyrrha shared their first date. He fumbled with the little velvet box that was in his pocket for a moment and decided to fish it out. He was nervous about what Pyrrha would say, and if he was man enough to take the rejection. Jaune opened the little box and marveled at the ring he had bought today at the jeweler that Ruby had recommended to him. _I should really thank her later._

The platinum ring had a modest jewel that was unlike anything he had ever seen. In direct light, the stone glimmered clear and refractive like diamond. When subjected to water it would change to the characteristics of a sapphire, deep and beautiful. When the ring got to a certain warmth it would once again change to a deep crimson like that of a ruby. As it sat in its velvet home, however, It was a clear green, much like Pyrrha's beautiful eyes. It would stay like this whenever not worn. Jaune closed the box and returned it to his pocket with his nerves steeled to whatever may come.

Pyrrha appeared at the table and gave him a soft and sensual kiss that spoke more clearly than words ever could. It conveyed worry and love and determination, all with an undercurrent of deep passion. She sat next to Jaune, wanting to be close to him after the stressful day apart, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I missed you today."

"I missed you too. Should we order? I'm starving." Jaune was just as soft in his reply. He would tread lightly tonight. _I love her so much, and I just want to be with her for the rest of my life._ The thought came quickly and Jaune was overcome with emotion.

"Definitely. Are you okay?" Pyrrha's voice filled with worry as a tear from Jaune's check rolled onto her forehead. She looked up to see him quietly crying.

"Yea, I'm just… I don't want to lose you. I want to be by you - ." Jaune cut his sentence off short, so as not to ruin the surprise he had in store. He had rehearsed this for the last hour, while he made his way to the restaurant. This statement, however only served to worry Pyrrha more. The red-haired woman kept her concerns to herself however as they ordered and ate in relative quiet, aside from filling each other in on what the other had been doing this morning. Jaune kept story about the ring out of his explanation of why he left so abruptly. As they finished their meals, Jaune reached into his pocket for the ring.

"Hey can I ask you something?" Pyrrha interrupted Jaune's train of thought as she prepared herself for the answer that would surely come soon. "what did you mean by yes this morning?" Pyrrha barely got the question out before she buried her face in Jaune's suit jacket, not quite sure how she was feeling about it yet.

"Well I wanted to ask you something about last night but I figured it was best to at least give you some type of answer before I did." Jaune stepped out of the booth to kneel, pulling out the ring and said, "Pyrrha Nikos, will you marry me?" Jaune's hand shook as he proposed and he almost dropped the ring before Pyrrha tok his hands and helped him up.

"I can't imagine a life without you anymore Jaune. I love you so much. Yes!" With that the engaged couple kissed like they never had before. Something wholly new to them. It was full of passion and a love that was as much caring as it was desire for each other. Jaune slipped the ring on to her finger as they sat back down while the entire restaurant clapped for them. The rest of the evening in the restaurant the couple sat and whispered tender nothings into the other's ear, doting until they deemed fit to leave. "I want you."

The sweet words followed by a nibble on Jaune's ear were understood and he immediately picked Pyrrha up to carry her home. That night was one they would never forget.

 **HI guys, sorry it has been so long. Life gets in the way sometimes, and I just couldn't keep working on this. But I'm back, and the story has taken a complete left turn compared to what I wanted to do originally, but like I always say, I let these things write themselves. I think that this story will somewhat resemble White Rose. The next few chapters will come soon. As in the next week or so. At least one of them…I think. HAHA! Anyway enjoy or don't the choice is yours!**


	7. Chapter 7 -- Late

Rising Phoenix

Chapter 7

Late

Jaune paced the halls of the hospital as he waited for new of his wife. There were complications with the birth of their son – Arthur. The name was picked out months before and it just felt right. Jaune was nervous as all of the horrible possibilities ran, uninvited through his head. As he turned on his heel to continue his pacing, he noticed the doctor that was delivering his son walking toward him. _Dear god, I hope what he has to say is good news or I'm going to lose my mind._ Jaune could not think of the damage that would be done to Pyrrha if she lost their first child, and to him if he had lost both his wife and his unborn son. Jaune stopped pacing and watched the doctor come toward him, with piercing eyes.

It has only been 18 months since our lovers graduated from Beacon academy, with honors. Pyrrha had taken part in the Vytal festival with Jaune just before that, and had won both the single dueling competitions and the dual face off competition awards. Something that had never been done in the history of the festival. The result of this had been a hefty reward- just enough to get them comfortably into a wonderful home in Mistral that resembled the ancient palaces of Sparta.

"It's absolutely perfect…so are you." Pyrrha sighed into Jaune's arms as he had surprised her with the home.

"I hope so, I spoke to your dad yesterday, by the way. Your parents want to stop by and see us. Is that ok?" Jaune had forgotten to tell her about the phone call they had received, and chided himself for his clumsiness for the millionth time in his life. Jaune had only briefly met Leo in person at the wedding, and they had hit it off. Both had the same carefree humor that made for easy conversation. Her mother on the other hand was much more like Pyrrha. Reserved, save for the occasional jest.

"Hey…. What do you think of children?" Jaune felt Pyrrha freeze with her head tucked into his chest, a habit of hers whenever she asked a question that she was nervous to hear the answer to. Jaune grabbed his wife by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"What brings this up?

"This is a big house, and I love you so much. I just feel like we have so much more that we have to do. I think a family is a good next step?" Pyrrha's last statement sounded more like a question as she searched her husband for any sign of an answer.

"I like the idea, Pyrrha, but I also think that we should give it a few months. We only just took off in our careers and we have no idea what kind of dangerous missions we may go on." Jaune spoke softly with a reverence for his wife as he guided her to the master bedroom, feeling her melt under his hands as he massaged her neck and shoulders. He wanted to enjoy being newlyweds for just a while longer, but in honesty, Jaune felt the same way. While he was the happiest he had been in his entire life, he felt like now there was a piece to their puzzle that just wasn't there yet.

"Okay, but let's not wait too long. I want us to have a wonderful family." Pyrrha sighed as Jaune felt every part of her body and made her forget every thought aside from him.

That conversation took place almost 2 months ago. In that time the two had begun successful careers as Hunstmen, and had settled into a wonderful life in their home in Mistral. Pyrrha had just returned home from a mission while Jaune was resting from his last. Pyrrha walked into the common area, dressed in a simple white dress, her usual attire when she was home, and lied down on the couch with her head in Jaune's lap. He was currently looking at the mission boards locally and found something that would be a fair challenge for just himself.

He held the screen to show Pyrrha, "What do you think?" The question was simple, but it had become common practice for them to consult each other on the missions they were considering, mostly out of courtesy, but also for an honest analysis of each other's skills. They still trained every night just like they had at Beacon Academy. In the time that Jaune had gotten into the real world and had some real experience, he had almost surpassed his wife in terms of sword skill. This left him hapless when it came to close quarters combat.

"I think that it would be a challenge, and certainly dangerous if you go alone. If you think that you have the skills to do so, then I believe in you." Pyrrha traced a line along his jaw as she softly spoke, Enjoying the closeness with her lover.

"Thanks honey, I'm taking it. I leave tonight, and I won't be back until…" Jaune did the math to account for travel time before continuing. "Most likely 4 days from now. I'm going to pack." With that, Jaune gave his wife a quick kiss and stood, letting her head rest on the couch so that she could rest while he readied himself with some supplies. The preparation did not take very long, only needing some food, his weapon cleaning supplies and a change of clothes.

Jaune paused at the door, looking to his sleeping wife on the couch. "Pyrrha," he called out. "I'm on my way, I love you so much. See you soon." With no response. Jaune returned to the couch and kissed her gently, and scribbled a note on some paper before setting off. Jaune began his trek to the abandoned town of Kuroyuri with a full heart, knowing that he was prepared for this and that when all was said and done, that he could come home to his red-haired warrior.

Pyrrha busied herself with housework, not wanting to become too idle as she rested before leaving for another mission a few days after Jaune returned. She stood in front of the calendar as she thought of her brave husband. _I hope he is okay, that mission was a bit treacherous to say the least._ Jaune had been gone 3 days, which meant that he should be on his way back to his home. Pyrrha grabbed an apple on her way out of the kitchen and munched on it as she set about cleaning the training area. It regularly became a mess as they dropped equipment to enjoy some "time" together.

Jaune swung wildly, knicking the Horseman's right arm. This was no Grimm. _It's a damn demon!_ Jaune's mind raced as he thought of the different ways that he could take the thing down. Seeing a tree nearby, he formed a plan in his head to trap it there. Jaune raced there as fast as his legs could take him, feeling something warm in his side as he did. Jaune's vision began to blur. He looked down to see a pool of his own blood. The warmth in his side had been a gash that the Horseman had ripped in him as he had run to spring his trap. _Dammit! It's at least an 18 hour hike non-stop home. I have no chance on making it out of here alive. Unless…_

Jaune absentmindedly sprung his trap and decapitated the Horseman as he attempted to stitch himself up. There were no towns this far out into the country and the only one that was nearer than home was in the opposite direction. Jaune activated his SOS function on his scroll and sat down to rest.

Ren and Nora heard fighting coming from the direction of their hometown. They were on their way there to see if there was anything left that could give them some clue into Nora's past. They had just finished tracking down an uncle of Ren's this week. They stopped to rest at the crossroads with a sign that read Kuroyuri, Left, 0.8k. They were close but the sounds of fighting sounded like they were coming from the abandoned town.

"You don't think that it's that _thing_ do you?" Nora clutched Ren's hand hard as they looked toward the smoke rising from their hometown. Before Ren could respond, they received an SOS on their scrolls.

JAUNE ARC: IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE. LOCATION: KUROYURI.

Ren stared at his scroll in disbelief. There was no way that Jaune could be on a mission in his ruined hometown. The wandering pair took off into Kuroyuri like the wind. They would assist Jaune in any way they possibly could. A few minutes later, the pair entered the town, weapons ready for anything. The sight that greeted was a gruesome one. The body of the monster that destroyed their home all those years ago lay in a heap a few feet from the unconscious body of Jaune, who lay in a pool of his own blood.

"Oh my god…" was all that Nora could say, the normally vebose woman was reduced to a stunned silence.

"Nora! We need to help Jaune. You have the most training in medicine." Ren brought Nora back down to earth as they rushed to his side. Nora assessed Jaune and saw that he was otherwise fine, considering his fight. A large gash was gushing blood. With a heated blade, she cauterized it. Jaune had come to with the pain of the burning.

"AAAGGHHH! Ren? Nora? I need to get home." Jaune coughed up blood as he spoke. He would find out how they got to him so quickly later on.

"Ren I need my supplies. Will you grab my pack and we will carry him home." Nora was calm, she had seen worse in the villages she had come across on missions. He would make it, she was sure of that. The group made slow progress with Jaune on Nora's back.

Pyrrha woke early and trained as she did every day. Her form was off, the pit in her stomach was getting bigger by the minute. Jaune should have been home two days ago. She had tried to call him, but his scroll was off or out of the service area. When she could take no more of the training, Pyrrha made a small breakfast and cleaned. Anything to take her mind off of the fact that every second that Jaune wasn't there, the chances of him never coming home grew exponentially.

There was a knock on the door, prompting Pyrrha to stand and hurry to it. _Maybe there's some news about him_ Pyrrha answered the door to the most horrific sight she had seen since the invasion of vale. Ren stood in front of her for the first time in a long time, covered in mud, and in general looking like he had walked through hell and back, with Jaune on his back. Nora stood next to him, on the phone with her contacts at the hospital, letting them know what had happened and asking for medical supplies ASAP. Jaune lay limp across Ren's back, a massive wound on his side. He looked pale, _he's lost so much blood. I knew something wasn't right._

"What the hell happened?!" Pyrrha invited them in, and Jaune was set down on the table. Nora went to work on stitching the ruined muscle and organs that were nearing necrosis. Ren answered her so as not to distract her.

"We got an SOS from my hometown, and we found Jaune like this next to the Grimm that destroyed it when we were kids. Nora started to patch him up but she needs more supplies than we brought with us. We had to bring him home. He was talking for a while, but the only thing that I could make out was your name." Ren looked at the floor as he finished speaking. Jaune groaned as he found consciousness again.

"Pyrrha… I love you." Blood came up with the last word, dark and warm. In a few hours, Nora had finished working her magic on Jaune. He lay on the couch while the rest of team JNPR sat at the dining room table. Pyrrha was filled in on the details of the grueling trip back and the foe that Jaune had fought single handedly that an entire town had not been able to defeat.

"He is a very strong person, we all know that." Ren let the words hang over the table like a silent wish that Jaune would be okay. Pyrrha spoke next, in a voice so broken that it broke Ren and Nora's heart.

"I should have been there with him. I knew that it was dangerous." There was something in her voice that spoke to the feeling that this little family of Huntsmen had drifted apart and there was no telling when one of them may fall to the Grimm. "Would you guys mind staying here for a week or so? Do you have anything that you need to do? I know it's a lot to ask." Pyrrha asked of her teammates, who responded without thinking, understanding the situation.

"Of course. We could use some training and rest." Nora spoke this time, having cleared her head and rejoined the conversation. "We miss you guys all the time. We all could use it, I think." Nora leaned into Ren as she spoke, obviously wiped out from her work on Jaune.

"Let me show you guys where you're sleeping. You should all get some sleep. I'm going to stay here with Jaune until he wakes up." Pyrrha dried her eyes and showed her teammates to their room. When she returned to the living room, she saw that Jaune had woken and was trying to sit up. "Lay back down you crazy person. You have a nasty gouge in your side that Nora stitched back together not 3 hours ago. They are going to stay here for a while so we can make sure that everyone is okay after this." Pyrrha paused as she saw the evident pain in her Jaune's face. "That was too close Jaune. Take some time off with me?"

Through the pain, Jaune gritted his teeth, "I love you Pyrrha. Sorry I almost died out there." Jaune stopped for a moment when another slice of pain went through his side. "I think we should start a family love. Every time we get hurt, it reminds me that we have nothing to pass down. Not to mention the fact that if one of us does go, the other would be alone in this massive house and that would be horrible." Blue eyes stared into green. Minutes passed as Pyrrha slowly processed what he had said.

"Okay!" For the first time that week, tears of happiness streamed down Pyrrhas face.

 **Well guys, I usually have a note here at the end of a chapter to my stories, but today I think this one hit me a bit harder than they usually do. Like I always say, I let them write themselves. Looking forward to a similar chapter as my White Rose Chapter 9. I love seeing the teams get back together. See you guys next week with the next chapter! Looking forward to it!**


	8. Chapter 8 -- Team JNPR

Chpater 8 - Team JNPR

The next week was spent in general happiness, if a little tense about Jaune's recent injury, as the team that had spent years growing together reunited, and came to know the people that they had grown into since departing from Beacon Academy. One particular morning Ren and Pyrrha were training with each other, while their respective partners rested on the couch. Nora took the opportunity to check on Jaune's injuries and make sure that his mental state wasn't too affected by the events that had transpired recently.

"So, Jaune how have you and Pyrrha settled in here in Mistral?" The pink haired huntress asked of her former team leader as she poked and prodded into his injury - and consequently into his mind. "What have you all been up to?"

Jaune took a deep breath before answering her question, allowing him to collect his thoughts. His eyes darted to the training pit where Pyrrha's eyes caught his. "I think that this is the life that we all signed up for when we decided to go to Beacon, ya know?" He gasped sharply as Nora got a particularly sensitive area of his wound before continuing. "Pyrrha and I have never been closer than we have been since we moved here…" Jaune trailed off as he thought of the night that he had been brought home, half unconscious.

Nora nodded, as her thoughts had been confirmed about Jaune's feelings of listlessness that she had noticed the last few days. "Jaune, is there something that you feel like is missing from your relationship with Pyrrha?" Nora's eyes probed into his. Before Jaune could answer, something flitted across his eyes. Maybe hope? Or possibly it was despair. _Damned goof, I still can't get a read on what he is thinking all these years later._

A clang distracted the two that were sitting on the couch, who looked up in surprise to see that the ninja and the spartan had each other in a deadlock. Pyrrha's stave up against Rens throat, with Ren's guns pointed into her face.

"Yay!" Nora's entire persona changed as she looked at the stalemate that her lover had driven the best fighter in the team into. In the time following graduation from Beacon Academy, the raven haired man and his wife had become quite the huntsmen. Jaune looked toward his lover in a meaningful way _I know that you would never have lost that fight in a million years, if you weren't so worried about me._ Jaune's thoughts seemed to have gotten across to Pyrrha, with her only response being a small sad looking smile.

The fighters bowed before Pyrrha grabbed a few towels to dry off. With Pyrrha and Ren dried and cooling off, they joined their respective partners on the couch for a bit. Everything seemed right in the world… Sort of. There was a thought – an uneasiness in the back of everyone's mind. Nora was the first to speak up.

"We almost lost someone…" She looked into her hands, remembering the night that Ren saved her from the Nucklevee all those years ago. Ren placed a hand on her shoulder, a surefire way to calm her nerves no matter the situation.

"Your right. We all signed up for this, but it's starting to feel like we aren't going to leave anything behind. For anyone to remember us by." Pyrrha spoke next as she lay her head in Jaune's lap. Jaune stroked her hair as he thought about the situation that they all now found themselves in.

"What do you guys say to some tea?" Jaune could not sit any longer, as he was beginning to get stiff, and he didn't want to have to stretch and risk opening his wounds. With the affirmative of his team, Pyrrha joined him in the kitchen to help him with the tea. Jaune stood over the sink, filling the pot, when he felt a familiar embrace around his lower torso.

" Jaune, I have something important I need to talk to you about tonight. I love you." Pyrrhas voice filled with emotion, but Jaune did not turn around. He did not want to make her tears worsen as she worried about him. Truth be told, He was in excruciating pain and he had the worst poker face that anyone had ever seen. Ren turned to look in the direction of the kitchen when he heard the faintest of sobs.

"Honey, have you thought about us settling in somewhere? Maybe here in Mistral?" Ren's eyes searched Nora's, as he contemplated the scene in front of him, looking for any sign that she would feel the same way that he did.

"I think your right," Nora let her hand fall on his while she thought about to how she wanted to convey her feelings. _It's time we settled down. He's going to be a wonderful father._ "Ren… We should find something that has at least 2 rooms." Ren dismissed this as another of his lover's random antics, but something in the back of his mind knew that something was going on.

"Why 2 rooms?"

"Because there is going to be 3 of us soon."

"Oh, okay. Wait WHAT?!" Ren Jumped off the couch, startling the warriors in the kitchen. Jaune held Pyrrha's hand as they walked back to the couch, the tea steeping on the stove. The usually cool and collected Ren was pacing in in front of the couch with a massive grin on his face.

"Ren," Jaune looked quizzically toward his friend as he started muttering something about today being crazy – as crazy as his wife." What the hell happened? Are you okay?" Ren only nodded and pointed toward Nora who was bouncing in place with a smug look on her face as only she was capable of doing.

"We'll tell you both tomorrow when he has a chance to process this." Nora stood to help Ren learn how to sit on a couch again.

That night, when all had settled into bed for the night, Jaune looked at Pyrrha and asked. "What was it that was on your mind today when Ren decided to be possessed?" The now battled scarred warrior stroked Pyrrha's face as she contemplated how she wanted to tell him _It's so soon after his injury. Maybe we should wait. Maybe…_ She was pulled from her reverie by a gentle kiss from Jaune. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something too. I'm just not sure how to go about it." Jaune's voice trailed off as he was once again confounded by how to talk to Pyrrha about how he thought now would be a good time to have children.

"Well," Pyrrha paused to collect her thoughts, " I was thinking that now is the right time to start our family. We have a good amount saved to help keep us going when the baby gets here, so I can take the time away from work. What do you think?" Pyrrha stopped babbling for a moment after her question, searching her husband's baby blue eyes.

 _She must be telepathic. How did she know?_ Jaune's mind reeled for the shortest of moments before he recovered. He adjusted in bed so that he could look directly into Pyrrha's eyes as he responded. "I'm glad you feel the same way. I love you so much and I want us to have the opportunity to be great parents. Though i'm not sure that I'll be that great at it at first, I want to make a happy family with you honey." Jaune placed a gentle kiss on his lover, before he winced in pain. He added "Though do you mind if I heal up just a bit before we try?" gritting his teeth in pain as he asked the question.

Pyrrha felt tears of happiness start at the corners of her eyes as she nodded her approval at his request. "Of course. I'm exhausted from training with Ren. Sleep" barely getting her request out before she fell into the folds of sleep, Jaune simply nodded and held his beautiful wife a little tighter before he settled for the night as well.

Another week passed in a similar fashion, with Jaune getting up to speed again. Ren and Nora decided to leave at the end of the week, feeling confident that they would be fine. The earlier excitement that they shared turned into something else the day that they decided to leave. Ren's eyes seemed like they had lost some their light. Nora's – Almost as though they had lost all life. After they had left, Jaune and Pyrrha worried about them, but had come to understand in general what had happened. " I hope that they can make it through this okay…" Pyrrha softly brought the topic up to her blonde warrior over dinner the next night.

"Losing a child must be so hard, even if they haven't met them yet." Jaune's eyes pierced into Pyrrha's as she stared into her plate, " Your worried that we'll have the same problem." He grabbed her hand and shook his head silently as a quiet reassurance that he had faith that they would be okay.

Pyrrha looked up into his eyes and smiled weakly. "I love you so much. Thank you for being by my side through everything Jaune." Finishing dinner, the couple spent some time lightly training, getting Jaune back to fighting form was going very well. The heavy conversation over dinner all but forgotten in the heat of battle. It didn't take very long before the couple was lost in each other and forgot all about training, and mad their way to the bedroom. That night, the love of two people came to an all time high. It was a long hard pregnancy complications along the way.

As the doctor reached Jaune, he smiled at the young warrior. " Your wife and child are just fine, They're waiting for you in the first room on the right down this hall. Congratulations young man!" The doctor patted Jaune on the shoulder before leaving him to see his wife and little boy. Jaune sank to his knees and thanked whatever power above that his family had begun and had done so unscathed so far. Little Arthur Arc came home with his parents the next day and the next chapter of the Arc family begins!


End file.
